Faced with Kakashi's relentless questioning, Adult Sasuke found himself completely at a loss for words.
He opened his mouth, only to realize there was no explanation he could give.
If he admitted that he knew Naruto, Kakashi would inevitably follow that thread and uncover everything about them.
But if he denied it, Boruto's earlier words—"protect him"—had already exposed far too much.
"We can't keep dragging this out. If this continues, it'll only get worse."
Sasuke made a decisive call, no longer caring about concealment.
He grabbed Boruto by the back of his collar, and a faint purple gleam flashed in his left eye beneath the cloak.
"Let's go."
Whoosh!
The two figures that had been standing on the rooftop an instant earlier vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a soft gust of wind sweeping across the ridge.
"They're quick. Space–time ninjutsu, huh…"
Kakashi stared at the empty spot, making no move to pursue them. He sat back down on the roof ridge and shook his head with a helpless sigh.
"So that's it… Future Sasuke is really terrified of the so-called 'butterfly effect.'"
He was so afraid of altering history that he didn't even dare to communicate normally.
"Just pressuring them with words isn't going to force them into an alliance."
Kakashi rubbed his chin, a faint glint of interest flashing in his eyes.
"Fine. If you want to hide in the shadows, then hide."
"Once Ōtsutsuki Urashiki actually shows up, the initiative will be entirely in my hands anyway."
With his thoughts settled, Kakashi didn't linger on the cold rooftop. His figure flickered, and he disappeared into the night as well, heading home to catch up on sleep.
---
The next morning, Konoha Village welcomed a brand-new day.
Early in the morning, Sakura—who had drunk the "potential activation potion" Kakashi had given her and felt as if energy was overflowing from her body—headed toward Training Ground Three behind the village, excitement and nervousness intertwined as she prepared to face Tsunade's test.
On the other side, Kakashi was unusually punctual. He finished washing up early with Haku, who was staying at his place, and after breakfast, leisurely strolled toward Team 7's usual meeting spot.
"Morning, Naruto. Sasuke."
Kakashi appeared at the training ground right on time—a rare sight. Even more shocking, he wasn't holding a copy of Make-Out Tactics. The abnormality left the two early arrivals completely stunned.
"Ka—Kakashi-sensei?!"
Naruto rubbed his eyes and pointed at him, shouting, "You're actually not late today?! And you didn't get lost on the road of life?! Is it raining blood or something?!"
Sasuke frowned as well, hands in his pockets, a trace of suspicion flickering in his eyes.
"Did you take the wrong medicine?"
"Relax, don't look so shocked."
Kakashi waved them off casually. While stretching, he glanced out of the corner of his eye toward a concealed spot deep in the distant woods.
Sure enough, Adult Sasuke and Boruto were faithfully keeping watch over Naruto.
A faint curve formed beneath Kakashi's mask. He then turned his attention back to the two students before him, setting aside his lazy demeanor.
"Alright. Since Sakura is off receiving special training from the Hokage, today we'll keep things simple with some combat training."
"Combat training? Awesome!" Naruto clenched his fists excitedly. "I've been feeling full of energy lately!"
Sasuke snorted, his fighting spirit clearly ignited.
"Kakashi-sensei, are the three of us teaming up against you?"
Haku asked softly. He wasn't wearing his usual kimono today, but a sharp, dark-colored samurai outfit, with a short sword strapped at his waist.
"No, no, no. That'd be bullying you way too much."
Kakashi raised a finger and shook it with a smile.
"The rules are simple. Naruto and Sasuke—you two team up against Haku."
"What?! The two of us against Haku?!"
Naruto's eyes widened as if deeply offended.
"Kakashi-sensei, you're really underestimating me! I'm strong now!"
Sasuke didn't say anything, but the pride in his eyes clearly echoed Naruto's sentiment.
With their current strength, they didn't even pay much attention to most chunin, or even special jōnin.
"Don't talk so big just yet."
Kakashi chuckled and stepped back to the edge of the field.
"You did beat Gaara, but that relied on a summoned beast.
Haku's been staying at my place lately, undergoing special training. His Ice Release and speed—combined with what he's recently learned—aren't something Gaara's stationary sand defense can compare to."
"If you don't go all out, you're going to suffer."
Haku smiled faintly, his right hand slowly gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"Naruto, Sasuke… please go easy on me."
"Since you put it that way—then here we come! Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Right from the start, Naruto created hundreds of shadow clones, surging toward Haku like a tidal wave.
At the same time, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, sprinting forward like a cheetah and coordinating with the clones to hunt for an opening.
Faced with the ferocious pincer attack, Haku's gaze sharpened instantly.
Clang!
The short sword slid free of its sheath.
With the clear ring of steel, the surrounding temperature plummeted.
"Secret Sword: Ice Crack Slash!"
Haku's figure turned into a white afterimage, so fast it was nearly impossible to track.
Unlike before, when he relied on Ice Mirrors and senbon for long-range suppression, he charged straight into Naruto's army of shadow clones.
Freezing Ice Release chakra coated his blade, combined with the ruthless sword techniques personally taught by Kakashi.
Enhanced by Ice Release, Haku's speed reached a terrifying level. Every swing of his blade carried a suffocating, icy gleam.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The shadow clones—enough to overwhelm ordinary opponents through sheer numbers—were as fragile as paper in front of Haku. They were instantly sliced apart, frozen, and shattered beneath the frost-wreathed blade.
"What?!" Naruto's eyes went wide. "So fast! And his swordsmanship is insane!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
The moment Haku cleared the clones, Sasuke seized the opening, spewing a massive fireball from the side.
Haku didn't even turn his head.
He slashed backward with a single stroke.
"Ice Stream Slash!"
A sharp wave of sword energy mixed with freezing ice shards tore through the air, splitting the blazing fireball cleanly down the middle and shattering it before it could reach him.
Kakashi leaned against a large tree, watching Haku handle the situation with ease, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Haku really is a genius. Still a bit rough around the edges, but his strength has already undergone a qualitative leap."
"Damn it!"
Naruto gritted his teeth, his true body rapidly forming hand seals as he took a deep breath.
"If clones won't work, then take this! Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Boom!
A roaring hurricane burst from Naruto's mouth, ripping through the air as it surged toward Haku.
"Nice one, dead last."
Using the windstorm as cover, Sasuke snorted, drew the short sword from his back, and fully activated his Sharingan. Two tomoe spun rapidly within his blood-red eyes.
"Lightning Release: Chidori Blade!"
Dazzling blue lightning spread from Sasuke's wrist along the blade. Amid the piercing screech of a thousand birds, he transformed into a streak of blue light, lunging straight for Haku's flank.